The Magic School Bus Rides Again
The Magic School Bus Rides Again
TV-Y | 29 September 2017 (USA)
SEASON & EPISODES
  • 2
  • 1
  • Reviews
    dacer-02709

    Great reboot! Better then the old one, they took out the really annoying catchphrases.

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    taliscol

    The energy Kate McKinnen puts into the role of the new teacher is amazing! Feels just as good as the old show. This is educational television that actually works. It also has ethical lessons that are just subtle enough that kids have to work them though on their own leading to better understanding and retention and the Carlos jokes are AWESOME! (like a bad dad joke)

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    consertijones

    I think that what is getting lost a lot is that when shows are rebooted, it's done for a new audience, not the same old one.As such, I'm basing my review on the audience for this new show: young kids whose parents and teachers have grown up watching the original.My kids are 7 and 4. The elder one was initially exposed to Magic School Bus through her teacher showing the original series as a treat during the very rare "pajama day" at school. The younger one was only exposed to the original insofar as the older one wanted to watch *more* Magic School Bus.They both love the reboot. They ask to watch it over the original, which the older loved, but which the younger hated because it was "too scary". The reason it was too scary? The kids in the original would be yelling in fear over something every two seconds. In the reboot, the children are on the whole more competent and calm, and overall freak out less. When they find themselves in trouble, they try to figure out solutions on their own before appealing to Ms. Frizzle for help. I can see how it's more appealing to young kids who have grown up being told that anyone can do science, and that unexpected events can be an opportunity to problem solve.As for Ms. Frizzle? I happen to like that she's not a carbon copy of her big sister. Yes, sometimes her puns are very random, but I think it works to give her a personality of her own. Mckinnon doesn't quite disappear into the character as Tomlin did, but I think for my part it's because I was familiar with her voice beforehand, whereas I didn't know Tomlin before watching the original Magic School Bus. My kids have never heard of SNL, so they don't really have any way of recognizing McKinnon's voice, as it should be. To them, she's just "the new teacher".If you have kids between 5-9, they'll probably enjoy it regardless of whether they love the original or not.

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    jandsm5321

    It lacks the charm of the original shows. The science lessons seem watered down to squeeze in more wow factor and a little politicizing. The kids don't really figure out the lessons anymore but rather are just shown them while the teacher explains. The rest of the world in the show just accepts the magic bus as normal for some reason.The new Miss Frizzle feels more random than witty. She still makes lots of puns though. The kids don't have personalities anymore. Instead each episode they pick a kid to be the main "lesson learner" that takes something to excess so they can learn about it. It might have something to do with their personality, or it might not.The technology element they added in is pretty fun, I think the art is good compared to other modern CG cartoons, It's not too bad on it's own as a show. Miss Frizzle still does the Q&A at the end of the show, which is pretty fun.I don't think it really compares to the original show though. Still I hope they make more and improve on their formula a little.

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